Month: January

January 1 1863 – The Emancipation Proclamation Takes EffectRate this post Halfway through the war that literally divided the United States of America, President Abraham Lincoln issued an executive order on January 1, 1863 that would come to define his legacy. The Emancipation Proclamation, first threatened against the Confederacy in late September 1862, outlawed slavery in those states still fighting against the Union. When the country knitted itself back together after the American Civil War, it would be a nation built upon freedom — if not justice — for all. The question of slavery haunted the US from its inception. When the Constitutional Convention gathered in Philadelphia during the spring […]

January 1 1808 – Importing Slaves To The US Is BannedRate this post In March 1807, the American Congress passed an act prohibiting the importation of slaves into any American port or to any place within the jurisdiction of the United States…”from any foreign kingdom, place, or country.” No new slaves were to be allowed into the country from the following year. The law went into effect on January 1, 1808, and though loosely enforced, it marked a turning point in the demand for human rights and establishment of a modern social order based on multiracial values. Slavery itself, however, continued in the US till about the end of the […]

January 2 1959 – The Soviet Union Launches Luna 13.7 (73.33%) 3 votes More than a decade before man would set foot on the Moon, the Soviet Union fired the first manmade object bound for it into space on January 2, 1959. Though the satellite would end up off course, Luna 1 advanced knowledge of the solar system on many fronts, particularly in its proof that radio communication could be carried through space well past 300,000 miles from Earth In the fifteen months after launching Sputnik 1 into low Earth orbit, the Space Race produced a remarkable number of events — six successful missions spread evenly between the United States […]

January 2 1920 – Science Fiction Author And Biochemistry Professor Isaac Asimov Is Born5 (100%) 2 votes On January 2, 1920, Isaak Yudovich Ozimov was born in Petrovichi, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, to Jewish millers Anna Rachel Asimov and Judah Asimov. Isaak, however, attained fame and popularity as Isaac Asimov – the science fiction writer and biochemistry professor at Boston University. Apart from having authored or edited 500 books and written over 90,000 letters, science books, and postcards, Asimov has now come to be recognized as one of the greatest visionaries of the technological world. A reluctant MENSA (High-IQ club) member and but a very passionate president of the […]

January 3 1431 – Joan of Arc is Turned Over to Bishop Pierre CauchonRate this post Less than two years after upending the English at Orleans and leading the French to a string of victories, the young warrior Joan of Arc — aged just 19, according to her testimony — was turned over to Bishop Pierre Cauchon on January 3, 1431. Days later, she would be put on trial for heresy. As a child, Joan gained a reputation for deep Catholic faith. The last of five children born to a peasant farmer in Domremy, her life changed dramatically as the result of a vision during her early teens. Alone in […]

January 3 1977 – Apple Computer Is Incorporated5 (100%) 1 vote Apple Inc, the largest publicly traded company of the world by market capitalization, with over 72,800 full-time employees and a value of about $415 billion (March 2013) was incorporated as Apple Computer, Inc. by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne on January 3, 1977 . At the age of 20, living in his parents’ place in Los Altos, California, college dropout Steve Jobs spent most of his time in his parents’ garage with his friends “Woz” and Wayne. Here, they founded Apple Computer on April 1, 1976 and lay the foundation for Apple’s revolutionary approach to personal computing. […]

January 4 1847 – Arms Manufacturer Samuel Colt Sells Revolvers to the Texas RangersRate this post The romance of the American West is built in large part on the idea of lawmen and outlaws riding across the frontier with six-shooters blazing — countless books and movies have glamorized pistol-wielding men in the decades since. Without Samuel Colt’s first major sale to the Texas Rangers on January 4, 1847, however, the legends of Billy the Kid and Jesse James might never have come to pass. Growing up in Hartford, Connecticut, Colt became fascinated with the power of gunpowder as a youth after reading about the explosive black substance and learning of […]

January 4 2010 – Burj Khalifa, The World’s Tallest Building, Is OpenedRate this post On January 4, 2010, amidst a splendid fireworks display, the Burj Dubai – the tallest building in the world – was officially opened by Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The Burj Dubai, was later renamed Burj Khalifa. The Burj Khalifa is about 2,722 feet (829.8 meters) tall. With its inauguration, the Burj Khalifa ousted the Taipei 101, a 1,671 feet (509.2 meter) tower as the tallest building in the world – a record held by Taipei 101 since 2004. The building is now part of the 490-acre Downtown Dubai area and is located […]

January 5 1939 – Amelia Earhart is Declared Dead3.9 (78.67%) 15 votes Eighteen months after her plane disappeared somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, Amelia Earhart — undoubtedly the world’s most famous aviatrix — was declared legally dead on January 5, 1939. More than seven decades later, her disappearance remains an enduring mystery. Born in Atchison, Kansas on July 24, 1897, Earhart demonstrated an inquisitive nature throughout her youth. Wandering around the streets near their home, she often climbed trees and collected insects with younger sister Grace. At the age of seven, she pieced together her first flying machine, using a ramp to take off from the roof of her home […]

January 5 1933 – The Construction Of The Golden Gate Bridge Begins In San Francisco BayRate this post On January 5, 1933, the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge officially started, marking a new era in American engineering and architecture. The only connectivity between San Francisco and Marin County since the early 19th century was a ferry service. While the suggestion of building a bridge from Marin County to connect America’s largest city was made in 1916 by James Wilkins in the San Francisco Bulletin, the idea itself was considered a fantasy by many. Even if a bridge were to be constructed the costs were estimated to be $100 million […]